Assigbtob of one-half to



(No Model.)

H. TEMPLE.

THI'LL COUPLING.

No. 279,048. Patented June 5,1883.

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, UNITED :STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY TEMPLE, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF ro WILLIAM H. McOREADY, or SAME PLACE.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,043, dated June 5, 1883. Application filed March 30, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: with an angular socket, 5, extending through Be it known that I, HENRY TEMPLE, a citiit, preferably square and tapering, for the zen of the United States, residing at Grand passage of the tapering square bolt 6, which. Rapids, Kent county, Michigan, have invented serves to connect the thill with the clip 7, new and useful Improvements in Thill-Coupwhich latteris provided with perforated ears 8 5 5 ling-s, of which the following is a specification. for such purpose, as usual. The metallic bar- This invention relates to improvements in rel is located in the eye of the thill-iron; and thill-couplings, and has for its object to probetween the peripheral surface of the barrel vide simple and efficient means for preventing and the inner surfaces of the eye is arranged 10 the connecting parts from rattling, while pera flexible sleeve, preferably made from a strip 60 mitting of the convenient detachment of the of rawhide, but which. may be of some other thill and attachment of a pole, should such be suitable flexible material as to constitute a desirable. packing, and thus provide a tight and sung The object of my invention I accomplish. joint between the barrel and the eye in such I 5 through the medium of a metallic barrel eonmanner that the rattling of the barrel and eye 65 structed with an angularsocket for the passage is prevented. To further guard against ratof the bolt which connects the thill to the clip, tling of the parts, a flat strip, 9, of rawhide, whereby the barrel is held stationary and preleather, or similar flexible packing material, vented from rotating, combined with a sleeve is arranged between the two parts of the thill of flexible material'encircling the periphery of iron or strap 2, such parts being tightly 7,0 the barrel, and a thill-strap secured to the thill clamped together by the nuts 10 of the bolts and passed around the flexible sleeve to form employed to secure the thill and thill-strap an eye for confining the sleeve and its inclosed together. a metallic barrel in proper position at the rear The clip 7 may be constructed or provided end of the thill, all in such manner that the in any suitable or well-known manner with the 75 thill-strap and the flexible sleeve can turn on perforated ears 8, and the barrel and its pack the barrel while the latter stands stationary, ing being in proper position within theeye of the sleeve providing a tight joint between the the thill-strap, said eye is placed between the barrel and the thill-strap to prevent rattling. ears of the clip and the bolt-6 passed through Themanner of carrying outmy invention is the same and secured by the nut 11. The bolt 80 illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in serves to lock the barrel in a fixed or stationwhichary position, and hence the eye of the thill and I Figure 1 represents perspective views of the flexible packing-sleeve can be turned upon portions of a thill and a clip, the thill and clip the barrel while the latter remains stationary. I being disconnected Fig. 2, a longitudinal cen- The-packing-sleeve, being located between the 8 5 tral sectional view, with all the parts coninner surfaee of the thill-eyeand the periphery nected. Fig. 3 represents modification in the of the barrel, provides a tight joint between form of the metallic barrel. these parts, whereby rattling of the same is In the drawings, the number 1 indicates the effectually prevented and a smoothly-working 0 rear portion ofathill, to which is firmlybolted coupling is obtained; and, further than this, go a thill-iron, 2, in the form of a strap, which is the friction-surfaces provided by the flexible bent to form a circular eye, 3, the end of the packing-sleeve serve to retain the barrel With=v strap so bent being laid back on the body of in the thill-eye when the thill is detached from the strap and secured by the bolts which conthe clip, thereby preventing the barrel from 4.5 fine the said body to the thill. falling out or being accidentally displaced 5 The metallic barrel 4 shown in Figs. 1 and when the thill is not in use on a vehicle. 2, is in the form of a cylinder; but its periplr If the barrel be constructed with a peripheral surface may be concave, convex, or ineral surface such as in any one of the forms elined from each end toward the middle, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be obvious that illustrated in Fig. 3. The barrel is provided the thill-strap at its eye portion will be so constructed as to adapt it to the periphery of by other means.

By my invention I avoid the use of a rubber block for bearing on the thill-eye to pre vent rattling. I provide a more perfect coup ling, in that rattling is avoided by more simple and efficient means, and'in attaching the thills ora pole it is not necessary to press back a rubber block to bring the thill-eye into proper position to receive the bolt which passes through the ears of the clip.

Having thus described my inyention, what I claim is 1. A chill-coupling composed of a suitable clip having perforated ears, a thill strap or iron having a circular eye, a barrel held in a stationary position by the bolt which passes throughthe clipears, and a packing-sleeve located between the periphery of the barrel and the inner surface of the thill-strap eye, substantially as described. 25

2. The combination, with the thill-iron having the circular eye,- of the solid unslotted metallic barrel, having an angular socket through it for the passage of an angular bolt to lock it in a stationary position, and the packingsleeve located between the periphery of the barrel and the inner surface of the eye, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- 5 nesses.

HENRY TEMPLE.

-Witnesses: v f FRED C. TEMPLE,

inns. G. GODFROY. 

